Tracing A Scene An Old-Fashioned Way

1 year ago

Taking a picture is as simple as tapping a screen. Drawing a memorable scene, even when it’s directly in front of you, is a different skill entirely. So trace it! Well, that’s kind of hard to do without appropriate preparation.

[bobsteaman]’s method is to first whip up a pantograph — it tested well with a felt marker on the end. Next, he built a camera obscura into a small wood box with a matte plexiglass top, which didn’t work quite so well. A magnifying glass above the camera’s pinhole aperture helped, but arduous testing was needed to ensure it was set at perfect position for a clear image. The matte plexiglass was also thrown out and, after some experimentation, replaced with a sheet of semi-transparent baking paper sandwiched between two pieces of clear plexiglass. The result is hard to argue with.

Bundled into a drawing table, this camera obscura is fitted with a mirror underneath at a 45 degree angle so it projects up to the underside of the plexiglass. A blunted nail and a pen in the pantograph’s joints duplicate whatsoever the camera is capturing. For now, [bobsteaman] is forced to cart it around in the trunk of his car to capture the charming scene of his desire, but can also be handily busted out to entertain guests.